Correlations

Very bizarre.

Late Sunday night, after watching Desperate Housewives (OMG the ending!), Dexter and whatever was on in between, I flipped over to Joel Osteen's sermon #368 "Be Comfortable with Who You Are". He starts with a joke, then launches into the day's topic.

I was riveted.

The sermon/topic mirrored my last blog. Everything from "Out of this hurl-fest" onward. Joel's subject matter was that each of us has a special gift to share and that by sharing our gift, we'll be abundantly blessed.

When, in the course of listing the various gifts we are uniquely given, he said "some of you may be communicators", I nearly fell off the couch.

Weird.

The message I got from his show was validation of what I've been thinking about—but also more insight. Joel talked about focusing on our strengths, because that is where our gift lies. He said God will open doors for you and do all He can to help you to become the person he created you to be, but he won't help you try to be something you're not. I relate that to the obstacles that pop up whenever the wrong path is taken.

In addition, the daily message "Today's Word" from the Osteen Ministries followed up on this. (If you're uncomfortable with the God terminology, feel free to replace words. I won't be offended. I used to get a bad case of "ick" myself but now I'm fine with it.) Have a read:

Pursue Your Strengths
Today's Scripture
“Do not neglect your gift…” (I Timothy 4:14).

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
God has equipped each one of us with specific gifts and talents. It’s up to you to not only to identify those gifts, but to be disciplined to develop those gifts. You have to learn to stay in your strength zone. What are you naturally good at? What do you enjoy doing? Take the time to identify your strengths and weaknesses and as the scripture says, give yourself to your gifts. In other words, don’t spend all your time trying to improve your weaknesses. Don’t waste valuable days pursuing things that are outside your main gifting. Focus on your strengths. There is something that you’re good at naturally—something you can do that comes easy to you. Step out into your area of gifting. Are you good with people? Are you good with your hands? Do you have a great voice? Find ways to develop those gifts. Know that your gifts and talents are a part of your divine destiny. If you’ll be comfortable with who God made you to be, and thank Him for your unique gifting, you’ll not only enjoy your life more, but you’ll be ready to receive the abundant blessing God has in store for you!

Kinda creepy, isn't it, how closely it correlates to my thoughts from the day before, eh?

So you'd think after hearing this, I'd wake up inspired today, right?

Wrong.

Not sure what was wrong with me today but never mind the positive thinking, I was in a major funk today and it wasn't about to budge. I even took a bubble bath (rare occurrence) to try to shift the sadsack mentality.

Meh.

When J called, for some reason I unleashed it on him. He's very non-emotional and handles my occasional mood swings deftly (points for that). After two hours of "counseling", we hung up so I could eat (and watch the rest of the Closer). Then it hit me what the source of the funk was. Those darned limiting beliefs. Well, I asked for it. I put that affirmation in there to wake them up, and I must've opened an enormous can of worms because during my emotional launch at J, a whole lot of long buried limiting beliefs (aka "excuses") flew out. Stuff I didn't even know was in there.

I tell ya, these affirmations can be dangerous! I'm thinking I need to edit my MP3. Re-examine some of the phrases. See if there are any potentially damaging flipsides to them (no matter how positive they sound). I think the limiting belief paragraph is worthwhile, but... maybe better left for later in the course of things, or... maybe you play that one ONCE then fasten your seat belt. Kind of the introductory purge, followed up by a high dose of light happy thoughts designed to counteract the wormcan.

Do I feel better?

Ask me in the morning.

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Labels: Law of Attraction, positive thinking

posted by Jeanne @ 2:59 AM